Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again [Paperback]

Gary Kinnaman (Author), Richard Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

If you or someone you love suffers from depression, here's the help you've been looking for! Written by a medical doctor and a pastor who have been personally impacted by depression, this book confronts the myths that have developed around the disease and offers strategies for every area of life--physical, psychological, and spiritual--that it touches. Do you feel alone or helpless? Overcome by darkness? Let the experiences of fellow-sufferers and the expert advice presented here fill you with renewed hope for healing. A great resource for those who give counsel and support to others--pastors, counselors, small group leaders, teachers, concerned friends and family members.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Christians searching for practical yet compassionate counsel on the subject of depression could not ask for a more competent author team than Kinnaman (a Phoenix pastor and a long-time depression sufferer) and Jacobs (a physician whose wife has battled depression for years). The authors dispel faulty Christian notions that depression is a character flaw or an attention getter, or more general ideas that it is solely a mental or physical illness. They refute the idea that it can be cured by denial or successfully "waited out." Through candid self-disclosure, both men reveal their respective experiences with depression and offer substantive help by viewing depression as the multifaceted illness it is. Their guide is both practical and theological: they discuss recognizing true depression and understanding how brain chemistry affects depression, and also present a concise biblical take on handling dark seasons of life. They offer hope in the grace God affords believers and explore how new thought patterns can help tame some of depression's wildest mental digressions. From engaging opening stories to excellent appendixes that include the history of antidepressants, key self-rating questions and other useful aids, readers will find solid resources for matters of both the soul and the body. (Aug.)
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Review

"...a strategic book for dealing with every area of the depressed person's life - the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual." -- Mary Fairchild, about.com

"...quite possibly the definitive Christian book about depression... This message is long overdue and sorely needed." -- Pattie Reitz, armchairinterviews.com

"...the ideal book for any Christian who struggles with depression or is close someone who does." -- Rachel Lower, christian-mommies.com

"I highly recommend this book ... it gives you alot of tools and mostly, A LOT of hope." -- Karen Wolff, christian-books-for-women.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764201999
• ISBN-13: 978-0764201998
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough, yet easy to understand..., August 5, 2006

By 

Michelle Sutton (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again (Paperback)

By far the best resource book on depression I've read to date, Seeing in the Dark is the ultimate tool for treating the depressed Christian, which according to the authors - one a pastor and the other a doctor - is NOT an oxymoron. I loved the message in this book, plus it's very reader friendly. By that I mean you don't have to have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology to understand it (though in my case, I have that degree.) Too many times I've heard people trying to explain depression away, and like Job's friends, the help offered only makes the person feel worse because it's often NOT helpful. At any rate, Seeing in the Dark touches on the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of depression in a powerful and honest way. Both authors have first-hand experience with depression. One has the diagnosis and the other is married to a woman who has the diagnosis. They skillfully address myths about depression as well as revealing ways to treat the illness, and how to identify whether or not you have it. Clinical depression is also distinguished from normal depression via grief, sadness, loss, etc. The differences are made very clear in this book. It's also small and concise so as not to overwhelm the reader with the facts. Personal examples are disbursed throughout to hold the reader's attention. I highly recommend Seeing in the Dark for people who want a better understanding of this pervasive and non-discriminating illness that rains on the just as well as the unjust. I normally dislike non-fiction but found this book very encouraging.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An index for quick reference and a self-test to gauge one's own mindset, December 8, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again (Paperback)

Written by Word of Grace Church senior pastor Gary Kinnaman and Richard Jacobs MD, Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again is a guide especially for Christians who suffer from depression, or who yearn to help a loved one so afflicted. Chapters cover how to recognize the serious medical condition of true depression, Biblical insights into depression, information about brain chemistry and depression, how to adopt a grace-filled lifestyle of letting go, how to recognize patterns of thinking that exacerbate depression and put a stop to them, communal strategies for combating depression that is too overwhelming to face alone, and much more. Case studies illustrate the harm depression can bring to God's faithful, and means by which one can cope while keeping warm with the flame of faith. An index for quick reference and a self-test to gauge one's own mindset round out this vital guide to rising above neurochemical and emotional misery.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The message is needed!, September 12, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seeing in the Dark: Getting the Facts on Depression & Finding Hope Again (Paperback)

Seeing in the Dark is an eye-opening glimpse into the world of clinical depression. Authored by a pastor with depression and a medical doctor whose wife suffers from depression, along with a foreword by Dr. John Trent, it is quite possibly the definitive Christian book about depression.

The first and most important point made in the book is this: Depression is not an emotional problem--it is an illness. Right away the authors attack one of the most common myths about depression, and they systematically debunk it and twenty-four other myths, using both medical fact and the Bible. The authors demystify stigmas and common misbeliefs about antidepressant medications/SRIs. They assert that misinformation and lack of knowledge within the Christian community contribute to the stigma associated with depression and other mental illnesses.

This book is readable and easy to understand without a medical or theological degree. The authors mix medical fact, Biblical knowledge, and true-life stories in a pleasing way. The ten chapters and several appendixes include a list of common myths about depression, information about anti-depression medications, a self-rating depression test, lists of resources, endnotes, and a scripture index.

I believe this book will give hope to Christians suffering from this illness, as well as educate their loved ones in understanding this complex illness just a bit more.

I do not live with depression, but I have friends and family who do. It is appalling to me how many in the Christian community have glossed over or completely ignored this illness or worse yet, scoffed at or joked about it. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone I can.

Armchair Interviews says: This message is long overdue and sorely needed.